Its a Spectacular Life
by Starcrossd
Summary: Dib finds out what the world would be like without him. You'll need to have read some of 'The House of Madness' to understand some of this. See Chapter 11, The End (Soundtrack: 'My December' by Linkin Park)
1. Dib's Contemplation

(A/N: It's getting to be Christmas time and I figured I needed to write a fic for the Holidays. To understand this story, you'll need to have read some of my other fic, 'The House of Madness', or else you'll be thinking 'What the hell?' every five seconds. 'The House of Madness' and 'It's a Spectacular Life' are co-written with Velveeta.)  
  
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Narrative  
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Why was it getting to him so much? Kids said stuff like that to him all the time but for some reason that one thing...that one thing was just tearing at him. He couldn't remember who had said it, all he could remember was what was said.  
  
At skool, Dib had given a speech to the class on Edgar Alan Poe and how everyone said he was wierd and crazy just because he was different; about how Poe's life was hard and filled with tragedy and yet he refused to succumb to the way everyone else was, and about how you couldn't help but admire someone like that.  
  
Someone asked him if Poe was dead, though he didn't know who it was, so Dib said 'yes' and went on to describe how Edgar only got really famous after he'd died. Then someone in the back yelled out, "I guess you've got two things in common with him then, you're crazy and you're better off dead!"  
  
The child paranormalist couldn't remember much after that, only that he'd been told to sit back down, while the class laughed at him, and that he couldn't stop thinking about what that person had said. Better off dead? Is that true?  
  
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Dib's Point of View  
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What if I am better off dead? Maybe the world would be better without me. Come to think of it, I haven't done much to make the world any better of a place...  
  
...  
  
I'm leaving.  
  
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Narrative  
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No one noticed as the boy left the house. He had nothing with him, nothing at all, only the clothes he wore. He wasn't planning on finding a better life, he was planning on just not having onel.  
  
Dib came to a stop at the city bridge. It was over a large river that looked out onto the ocean, from the center of the walkway you could see out onto the horizon with no city in the way and if you concentrated, you could only see the water and the sky. He started walking again and stopped in the middle of the bridge, then leaned on the railing and looked out over the scene.  
  
Suicide comes to mind for everyone these days, even for those who are perfectly happy the way they are, though, there are those of us who think of it in depth. There are those of us who think of it constantly, and there are those of us who can't stand the very mention of it. Ever since what had happened earlier in skool, suicide had been finding its way into his thoughts every other moment.   
  
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Dib's Point of View  
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It's wierd, really. I've never had thoughts like this before. Suicide...I've always thought of it as something foreign, something I'd never get related with. But now it's different. I've come to realize that my life isn't really all that...well...important.  
  
It's beautiful out here. It's night-time, and from the bridge I can see the stars and the moon perfectly. I can't tell where the sky ends and the ocean begins, the moonlight is reflecting off the waves so that it looks like the stars are on the ground. This is probably the best place to spend the last moments of my life.  
  
Wait...who is that?  
  
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Narrative  
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Someone was walking towards him from the side of the bridge opposite from where he'd walked. It was a man, really thin, with purple-reddish hair that was spiked up over his head. He wore a black trenchcoat over a black t-shirt, black pants, black shoes, and silver, ovaled glasses. (In case you haven't noticed, kiddies, it's Jhonen! He's wearing all black because he's supposed to be a gaurdian angel type thing and I didn't think he'd look 'normal' in all white.)  
  
The man kept walking until he was standing right beside Dib, who hadn't moved and was pretending not to notice him. He grinned and put a hand on Dib's shoulder. "You know, suicide is a rather idiotic thing to do at your age. Actually, most kids your age don't even know the meaning of the word."  
  
Dib's eyes widened and he turned around. "Who are you?", He asked, a bit disturbed seeing as though this guy obviously knew what he was thinking.  
  
"I'm your 'gaurdian angel'...thingy." The man replied, looking rather bored about having to explain.  
  
"You don't look like an angel."  
  
"I also don't look like a genius, but I am."  
  
"..."  
  
"Okay, well, you're probably wondering why I'm here-"  
  
"Actually I was wondering where you got your coat."  
  
"Well, I forget, so I'm going to go ahead and tell you." He said, adjusting his glasses and looking a bit annoyed now, "You can just call me G, for gaurdian. Now, I'm here to stop you from killing yourself."  
  
"Is this some kind of joke? No, no...I'm hallucinating. No, wait! I know! Zim's got another one of those hologram rooms going on me, I get it. Very funny." Dib crossed his arms and turned around as if expecting to see someone.  
  
G shook his head and turned Dib back around to face him. "This isn't a hologram, Dib. This is your life."  
  
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(A/N: I've written all of this so far, Velveeta has to write the parts of: Aeric, Sabre, Lasaro, Saroya, and Vet. Review or I'm gonna cry.) 


	2. Bad News

(A/N: Six reviews, all from the same person. - sigh - Thanks, Sapphire. You're the only one who cares, it seems.)  
  
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Narrative  
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Dib glared at G and stepped back from him a bit. "Go on then, G. Tell me how very useful I am, tell me how much people love having me around," He said sarcastically.  
  
G straightened himself and crossed his arms over his chest, "You don't believe me? Well, then, I'll just have to show you." With that he snapped his fingers and called out, "Rewind."  
  
The ocean stopped moving momentarily, the only things animated were Dib and G. Suddenly, Dib saw himself leaning on the railing and looking out over the ocean.  
  
"That's me...What's going on?" The boy asked, tilting his head inquiringly.  
  
"I told you, I'm going to show you what the world would be like without you. For example, if you were dead." G replied.  
  
A large white car came speeding down the bridge, music blared loudly from the windows, the car was swerving wildly as if the driver were drunk; and he was. The Dib that stood against the railing turned to see the car headed straight for him. His eyes widened and he knew he didn't have time to move. Then, the scene stopped itself just as the car came at him.  
  
"I'm not going to let you watch yourself die, though. That'd be kind of mean." G said as he pulled the other Dib back and called out, "Fast-forward."  
  
They each weren't able to see the car hit him as the headlights glared out through the scene. Suddenly, they were standing in a long, white hospital hallway.   
  
"Where are we?" Dib asked quietly, then looked over and saw his dad sitting in a chair along with his sister, Gaz. Both of them were staring at the floor, Professor Membrane was wringing his hands worriedly.  
  
"The hospital." G said just as a doctor came out of the room across from Dib's family.  
  
The doctor sat down beside Prof. Membrane, who turned and looked at him without a word, then slowly the doctor sighed and said something to him that was inaudible to Dib, who stood a few feet away beside G. All they heard was, "I'm sorry."  
  
Prof. Membrane buried his face in his hands while Gaz just stared blankly at the wall, unmoving. The doctor walked over and put a hand on her shoulder, but she seemed not to notice.  
  
"What...what'd he tell them?" Dib asked, looking up at G.  
  
"He told them you died." The angel replied, pointing to the room the doctor had come out of. They heard the doctor say something else to Prof. Membrane, who nodded and stood up. Gaz stood up too, but she was still staring at the wall, then looked down at the ground and nodded to her father.   
  
"They're going in to see you." G said, "To say good-bye."  
  
"But I'm not dead, I'm right here!" Dib yelled out, and ran over to his dad. Membrane didn't seem to notice him, though, as he led Gaz into the room. The boy blinked confusedly and turn to look at G, "They didn't even acknowledge me."  
  
"Of course, you're not alive in this world. Therefore, you cannot be seen or heard by the people who live here. Come on," G told him and pushed him lightly by his shoulder into the room.  
  
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Dib's Point of View  
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I can't believe this. He's crying...I don't remember ever seeing him cry. She's crying too. She's being more quiet about it, but she's crying. They're crying because I'm dead. They actually care.  
  
Oh my God, is that...me? I look so pale. My skin has taken on a sort of green shade; it's disturbing. My coat is missing and my shirt is torn. The doctor just took some sort of wire off my chest. He's left now, Gaz and dad are both crying.  
  
Dad just took my hand. Has he ever done that before? I can't recall...I don't like this...  
  
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Narrative  
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Dib stood on the other side of the hospital table, staring at his own dead body. G stood behind him and said nothing, only watched him. Professor Membrane was kneeling on the ground and holding his dead son's hand, his eyes narrowed in disbelief. Gaz was standing beside her father and peeking up over the table like a curious child, both her eyes were open, and they were red from tears. Suddenly, she let out a loud sob and ran out of the room. Membrane didn't make a move to stop her, she needed to be alone, he thought.  
  
"This is...I didn't..." The living Dib couldn't finish his own sentences. G took him by the arm and pulled him out of the room into the hallway.  
  
"You might want to see this." He said. Dib looked up at him confusedly.  
  
"Ma'am, wait! Slow down!" A male nurse was heard from down the corridor. A woman in a red tank top, red skirt, and no shoes came running down the hallway at full speed. It was Sinne and she was obviously in a hurry since she hadn't bothered to put on any shoes.  
  
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(A/N: Sheesh, da sadness. Now, I told you you needed to read 'The House of Madness' and this is why.) 


	3. The Funeral

(A/N: God, this is going to be so angsty.)  
  
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Narrative  
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"Where is he?" Sinne panted as she came to a stop in front of the doctor. Vet and Aeric came running up behind her and waited for the doctor to reply.  
  
"Ma'am, I don't think-" The doctor was cut off when she simply pushed him out of the way and ran into the room, Aeric and Vet following closely.  
  
A loud sob was heard. G nudged Dib lightly so he could see what was going on in the room.  
  
Sinne was standing over the Dib on the table, staring in disbelief; she slowly shook her head, tears streamed slowly down her cheeks, and placed a hand on his arm, her chin trembled as she realized she couldn't sense any energy from him.   
  
Aeric stood in the doorway for a few seconds, staring at Dib silently and blinking once or twice while Vet stopped behind him. "This can't...be...happening..." she murmured to herself as Aeric stepped out of her way to go to Sinne's side, Vet's body giving off a shudder and leaning against the doorway before her knees gave way and she slid down to the ground in a series of gasped sobs.   
  
Prof. Membrane hadn't moved from where he was. He'd not moved at all, simply kneeling there and holding his son's hand, his breath coming in slow, quiet sobs.  
  
As Aeric stepped toward her, Sinne turned and buried her face in his chest, crying quietly. Now that he was gone, she was all alone when Aeric and Vet were away. Dib had always come to her house, almost every afternoon since she'd shown it to him, now...those days seemed to be over.  
  
The Dib standing beside his gaurdian angel stared, jaw agape. "I...I didn't know that they were going to be here," He said.  
  
"They're your friends," G replied, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. "This is what they do. Lasaro, Saroya, and Sabre aren't here because they haven't found out yet. Those three were at Sinne's house at the time." The man looked the scene over once more, then spoke. "I think you've seen enough of this. Fast-forward."  
  
The scene changed too quickly for either of them to make out, then G called out, "Play." They were standing in a very cold, very gloomy building; it was plain to anyone where they were, the funeral home. Music seemed to be playing from another room and as Dib looked down the hallway he spotted a the soft glow of light coming from the open entrance of the ceremony room.  
  
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Dib's Point of View  
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Has he taken me to see my own funeral? Oh, my God...  
  
We're walking into the room now...  
  
Most of these people in the back are just people my dad works with. Where is dad?  
  
There he is. He's sitting in the front, wearing a tuxedo. I don't think I've ever seen him wear a tuxedo. Gaz is dressed in all black. Both of them are looking down. It's so quiet in here, no one is talking. Some really sad music is playing in the background, though.  
  
I can see the others sitting behind him. Aeric, Sinne, Vet, Lasaro, Saroya, Sabre...  
  
Oh, God...  
  
There I am...  
  
In that silver box...that...casket...  
  
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(A/N: I'm trying to get this story done rather quickly, it's bringing back bad memories.) 


	4. Mourning

(A/N: Hardly anyone is reading this. Why do I keep writing it? Because, I've not written angst in a while. I think my mind needs it.)  
  
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Narrative  
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Dib stared in horror at the gleaming silver casket upon a sort of table-like stand at the front of the room. He knew what was in there, he didn't like to think about it. G walked up behind him just as a man in a suit made his way towards a podium behind it.  
  
"Funerals are boring," G said, tapping Dib lightly and causing him to jump. "Want to leave?"  
  
All the boy could do was look up at him and nod.  
  
Lasaro and Sabre sats beside each other on the second row, neither one making a sound as their eyes remained glued upon the metal casket before them. Sabre seemed too strong to cry, though you could tell he wanted to. And as for Lasaro, she simply had nothing left. All of her tears had been drained over the dismal period of time. Now, she simply stared.   
  
Sinne was doing the staring thing too, but all she saw was the carpet. She had her arms tucked tightly around her, for some reason not wanting to touch anyone she was sitting near. Also, she was doing something she rarely ever did; she wasn't wearing any shades of red. All she wore was black.  
  
Aeric sat silent beside her, looking over at her face every now and then and frowning somewhat before his attention would be drawn back towards the casket. And beside him sat Vet, idly wringing her hands in her lap while thoughts of revenge ran through he rmind. Those thoughts were surely bring forth bad events...most likely caused by her.   
  
And then there was Saroya. She'd decided not to sit down, instead leaning against the wall nearby the coffin with something tightly gripped in her hands. Saroya had dressed in her best military uniform that day, thinking that Dib deserved it. There was no doubt in her mind that he was a great kid, destined for great things. And the horrid reality that he would not be able to fulfil his 'destiny' sickened her...to the point where she coudn't even help but cry, silent tears streaming down her cheeks with no end in sight.  
  
No one had bothered to ask the woman at the wall to sit down, she wasn't doing anything wrong.   
  
With a shaky sigh, Sinne put an arm around Vet's shoulder, but hadn't bothered to look up.  
  
"I...I can't watch this..." Dib said, his voice breaking slightly.  
  
"Fast-forward." He heard G call out, and they were gone.  
  
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Dib's Point of View  
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This street looks familiar...  
  
...  
  
Oh no...he's not...  
  
He is...  
  
This is Sinne's house...  
  
It's so quiet. Where's the ear-drum-exploding Good Charlotte and Avril Lavigne?  
  
The lights are all off. Even in her room. She always keeps those weird Christmas lights on in her room. The Christmas lights outside aren't even on.  
  
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Narrative  
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The halls of the House of Madness were dark and still. G slowly led Dib up the stairs that led to the main hallway, the hallway where all the bedrooms were. Dib could see the door to the room Sinne had given him, which she referred to as his bedroom.   
  
Aeric stood silently in the doorway, his hand rising to brush his hair away from his eyes. "Sinne...maybe we shouldn't be in here right now..." he said to the girl inside. The room was much too familiar to him right now. It was beginning to make him feel sick.  
  
"It's my house!" A familiar voice from inside replied, followed by a loud sob. "I'll be wherever I want..."   
  
"I just thought..." he began, his voice drifting off somewhat.  
  
"Aeric, you don't have to stay..." Sinne said, her tone softening.  
  
"No, no...I want to stay. I want to keep you company...It's just that I don't think that I can be in this room right now..." With a somewhat shaky sigh, he took a step back from the door.  
  
The two invisible onlookers took a few steps foreward to stand behind Aeric, looking in on Sinne. The faerie sat on Dib's bed, in her human form, holding his pillow and looking up at her boyfriend with tears in her eyes.  
  
"A-Alright," she stammered, standing up and putting the pillow down. Sinne turned and looked down at the bed, a few tears dripping onto the blanket before she looked back to Aeric and stepped towards him. "It was...so close to Christmas..." Her voice was dry and riddled with sadness, breaking with every other syllable.  
  
He let out a small sigh, stepping forward again and gently brushing her tears away. "I know...How about...I stay here with you for a while, just to make sure you're alright..." Aeric said, he was giving her the best smile he could at the moment.  
  
A shaky nod was all she could give him while she sat back down on the bed and hugged the pillow once more. "You know...he was all I had...when you weren't around...now, when you and Vet are gone...I'll be alone..."  
  
"This is awful," Dib said, looking up at G. "I didn't know...I just...I didn't know."  
  
"Exactly," G replied, gently turning him away from the scene. "Time to go see the reactions of the rest of your friends, then we get to visit your family."  
  
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(A/N: I like Harry Potter. o_o) 


	5. Unknown

(A/N: Sorry this is getting done so slowly.)  
  
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"Pause," said G. "Change scene."  
  
(A/N: Notice G works life like a VCR type thing.)  
  
The world around them blurred and flurried past, finally landing on the dingy form of a bar. Dib looked the building over and looked up at G, "What's going on here?"  
  
"You'll see, come on." G replied, walking forward and holding the door. The boy stepped inside and took a look around; people fighting, people drunk, people drunk and fighting...and someone familiar.  
  
The dismal nubian, Lasaro, sat at one of the booths in the back, huddling in the corner somewhat while her scythe lied across her legs. And as for her hands, she'd busied them with sharpening the long weapon's deadly blade. Her eyes were focusted upon it so that she wouldn't have to look at Sabre who sat across from her. He seemed as if he were trying to think of something to say. Finally, something managed to pop up in his mind. "Lasaro...What're you doing?" He asked softly, though the answer was obvious.  
  
"...Getting ready..." Lass replied. She didn't bother to look up, just continuing to run her whetting stone against the metal.   
  
The two invisible ones slowly walked forward for a better onlook of the situation.   
  
Sabre let out a sigh. People were beginning to stare now. It wasn't everyday they saw a woman sharpening a weapon in a bar. "What are you talking about?"   
  
"I'm talking about giving whoever did this his just deserts..."she growled. Her hand faltered somewhat and she slipped, cutting her finger. Though, she obviously wasn't paying attention and continued to work.  
  
"Seriously, you can't be planning on...you mean...Lass, you can't. You know the consequences..."  
  
His statement seemed to agitate her further and she finally glanced up to him, her eyes flickering angrily. "Does it look like I give a DAMN about the consequences?! He was a little kid, Saab...a kid..." she yelled angrilly, gaining the attention of a few more people while the crowd hushed somewhat.  
  
Dib gasped and turned to G, "She wants to kill the drunk guy in the car? Just because of me?"  
  
G only nodded.Sabre sighed and reached a hand out to her, though she only pulled back and slid out of the booth to her feet. "Don't touch me." Lass said softly, putting the stone back into her pocket and dusting off her scythe a bit more. "I really...don't want to get into an arguement with you right now. I know what I want...no...change that. I know what I'm -going- to do, and it'd only waste my time..." With a crack of her knuckles, she was out the door, Sabre only staring after her before he jumped to his feet and ran after her.  
  
"Lasaro! You can't do this!" he called to her as he rushed through the door, skidding to a halt on the sidewalk and watching her stop and turn around. "You know what would happen...don't make me do this..." His voice seemed rather uncertain about it all, hinting a bit of sadness along with it.  
  
G grabbed Dib by the arm and pulled him outside.  
  
She shook her head softly, staring at him for a few moments. "I'm sorry, but I have to. It's making me sick just thinking about..." Lasaro began, though she quickly stopped herself. "If you're gonna fill out a bounty, do it now...by the time it registers I'd have done it..."  
  
"Then...I guess...this is goodbye..." he whispered to her, pushing his hair away a little to get a better look at her.   
  
Dib the cute little dead boy (I'm a Lenore fan) looked at his two friends with worried eyes. They were usually so close, so nice to each other. Sure, Lasaro was a little -too- close and Sabre was a bit bottled up...but they were still his friends and now they were being torn apart.  
  
"Yes, I guess it is..." she responded. They stood there quietly for a while before Sabre finally cleared his throat and walked over to her, leaning forward and kissing her gently on the cheek. She looked at him in a rather speechless manner for a minute. Then, she turned and stepped through one of the shadows nearby, leaving him staring at the concrete sidewalk.   
  
The little invisible child on the sidewalk watched in astonishment. He knew they were close but...kissing? 'Whoa,' he thought.  
  
His gaurdian angel nodded down to him, "Freaky, yes? Time to visit Saroya."  
  
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Dib's Point of View  
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We're going to see Saroya? But she...she was the first one I met. (See 'The House of Madness' by Sinne and Velveeta.)  
  
I hope she's reacting by better means than homicide...  
  
Ugh, I was so stupid....  
  
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(A/N: Keep reading, keep reviewing, I'll keep writing.) 


	6. Rest In Peace

(A/N: Wow, whaddya know, I'm gaining fans.)  
  
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Narrative  
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"Pause, change scene." said G.  
  
Once again, the world around them blurred out and Dib found himself in the place he least wanted to be during this whole visit.  
  
The cemetary.  
  
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Dib's Point of View  
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This isn't...It is. No, I don't want to be here.  
  
I can't...  
  
Is that Saroya over there? Then that must be...  
  
My grave...  
  
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Narrative  
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(A/N: I'm making a guess on Dib's tombstone writing.)  
  
G took Dib by the arm and gently led him forward, through the snow and over to the spot where Saroya was. Erect before her was a tombstone, reading:  
  
Dib  
1991-2002  
A boy who believed even in what he couldn't see.  
Rest in peace.  
  
The woman sat on the ground in front of the cold slab of stone, her legs folded indian style while her elbows pressed against her knees. Her hands still gripped the box she had at the funeral. "...I suppose this is bye, kid..." she said as she stared at the tombstone. "I have no idea what I'm doing talking to a rock...but, I suppose...if humans are right about ghosts being able to hear things...I should say what I need to now."  
  
Dib took a few steps forward towards her and watched, listening to whatever it was she had to say.  
  
"Hm...I'm not that good at speeches...but, I'll try my best, I suppose. First of all, I just want to say...that I'm sorry. I'm sorry for everything I've gotten you into. I mean, half the time you got hurt, it was because you were around us..." Saroya said, her hands still fiddling with the little box. "But, I can't say that I regret having you around. Despite the worry of what might have happened to you, It was great having you there, kid...You're really one of the only humans that I could safely say would actually listen..."  
  
His gaze softened as he watched her. "I know you can't hear me, Sar," he said. "But I didn't mind getting hurt. You guys were the first friends I ever..." Dib sighed. "Nevermind, you can't tell what I'm saying..."  
  
G watched him silently, a slight smirk playing on his lips. He didn't think this was funny or amusing, but he thought Dib was beginning to learn his lesson.  
  
Saroya was silent for a few more moments before she looked upward, letting out a sigh. "I've got a little sister. Her name's Yana and she's about 15...And she may be my sister, but I never really got along with her. I may not seem like it sometimes, but I'm not a very...er...'girly' person...that's why I get along with Lasaro so much. And I know at the moment, what I'm saying doesn't seem to have anything to do with...well...ANYTHING right now...but, it does. I've always wanted a little brother. Boys, they know how to have fun. I mean, I doubt that a girl was the first to make a mud-pie." she chuckled softly.  
  
"Well, what I'm trying to say, is that I thought of you as a little brother, Dib. You...became part of my family...-all- of our families. And we all really loved you...we still do..." Her voice soon died to a whisper and she stared down at the tombstone again, her eyes hinting that she was on the verge of tears.  
  
Throat tight with his own sadness, Dib turned and looked up at G. "Can we go now?" he asked quietly. "I can't take much more of this."  
  
His guardian nodded and said, "Change scene."  
  
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(A/N: Sadness...) 


	7. Dealings

(A/N: Not more than three more chapters to be written...)  
  
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Dib's Point of View  
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Poor Saroya...I never knew she felt that way. I knew she liked me, but, a little brother?  
  
Now that I think of it, she is kind of like an older sister to me, her and Sinne and Lasaro...and Aeric and Sabre are kind of like older brothers...I really do look up to them...  
  
How could I have been so stupid, so blind? Why didn't I see it before?  
  
Wait a minute...who's that?  
  
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Narrative  
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Sure enough, someone was walking through the heavy iron gates of the cemetary towards them.  
  
Vet trudged slowly along through the worn paths along the graves, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket. Soon, she stopped at Saroya's side and sat down silently, staring down at the ground for a while as Saroya continued to twist the box between her fingers. "You know...I asked them...They said...that they wouldn't bring him back..." Vet finally said, causing the woman beside her to glance up and blink a few times.  
  
Dib quirked a brow. What was she talking about? And...what did Saroya have in that box? He'd only just noticed it.  
  
Sar seemed rather confused for a few moments, but it soon cleared up. "Oh..." was her only reply before she looked down once again, silence returning once again.  
  
"I think...I'm going to go home for a while...I don't know how long...I just...don't want to be around here for a while..." Vet whispered.  
  
The boy who couldn't be seen looked up at his guardian angel and cocked his head to the side slightly. "What were they talking about and what is that Saroya's got?"  
  
"Shh," was his reply. "Listen."  
  
"You know...I really...really hate them sometimes...all of them...all of them and their stupid ethics...their stupid clouds...their stupid...righteous ways..." the girl sighed, looking up into the sky and growling a little as a small flash appeared within the grey sea above. "OH, AND YOU THINK THAT'LL MAKE ME SHUT UP!? ALL OF YOU CAN BURN!"   
  
Saroya jumped a little. "Vet, maybe you should calm down..."  
  
Vet's eyes lowered back to her again, narrowing somewhat. "Don't you dare tell me what to do..." she snapped. You could tell she was tired...like she hadn't slept in a few days. "I'm sick and tired of people telling me what to do..."  
  
The boy sighed sadly. Even Vet was acting different. He still had no idea what she was talking about before, but it seemed that now she was talking about people. Just people in general.  
  
Saroya only stared at her for a moment or so. "Alright...I won't. But...I just wanted to ask you what you meant by...'asking them to bring him back..."  
  
"What do you think I meant? I went to talk to them...them..." she replied, pointing down at the ground as she stood before stuffing them back into her pockets. "They wouldn't do it...I stayed up...and waited for their reply, but they didn't care. They said 'it wasn't for them to decide'..."  
  
Dib looked down and thought about what she had said. Did she mean she tried to make a deal with hell? Again? Sheesh, as if he hadn't been the one to get her out of there in the first place. He sighed yet again and looked up at her, then to Saroya, still wondering what she had in that box. It seemed rather important.  
  
"And I asked them so nicely..." the girl sighed as she shook her head. " I think I...I'm going to go home now...I just have to go..Bye..." Without another word, Vet turned and headed off towards the gates, rubbing her droopy eyes and sniffling every now and then. Saroya stood to stop her, but decided against it. When she wanted to be alone, she wanted to be alone, and there was nothing she could do to stop her.  
  
"Oh, geezus, Vet..." Sar whispered as she stood there and watched the girl head out along the sidewalk. Finally, she looked back down to the grave and cleared her throat. "Well, I suppose...I should be heading off as well. " Her eyes shifted down to the small box while slender fingers pried it open. They ran across the metal inside for a moment before pulling the small object out. "I know you're not Kykorian...or in the military...but, I had to leave you -something-. It's...a medal...one from the Fire Base."  
  
G watched quietly as Dib stared at the woman. Dib looked sad and ashamed. He wanted to talk to Saroya; he wanted to thank her for being such a good friend, and he wanted to apologize for almost killing her the day he met her. He'd only just realized that he'd never apologized for it.  
  
"Saroya," he whispered. "I'm sorry."  
  
----  
  
(A/N: You see the angst, yes?) 


	8. Anger

(A/N: Memories...haunting me...must finish story...)  
  
----  
  
"Alright, time to visit your family," said G. "Pause, change scene."  
  
Dib closed his eyes this time and opened them to see that they were now standing in the hallway of his house.   
  
"C'mon." G urged, tapping him on the shoulder and notioning for him to follow. The entire house was as quiet as...well, as death. It was as if no one were living there any more. The boy followed as told and found himself led into Gaz's room.  
  
The girl lay, stomach down, on her bed with her beloved Game-Slave 2 set on the bedspread. Dib watched her for a few moments as she tapped the buttons swiftly, like someone who had been playing since they could read gaming instructions. (Which she probably has.)  
  
He felt kind of disappointed; Gaz seemed to be going on with her life so normally. It was as if he'd never even been there.  
  
"See?" he said, looking up at G and pointing at her. "Nothing's changed."  
  
The man shook his head and said softly, "Take a closer look."  
  
With a quirked brow, Dib walked around to the side of Gaz's bed and gasped in surprise. Sure, she looked normal enough; sitting there and poking away at her gaming console, but something was certainly amiss.  
  
"It's not even turned on," Dib said, his voice shaky. "The game...it-it's not on..."  
  
"Exactly," said G. "She's not even paying attention to it. Her mind is on something else."  
  
Gaz sat up on the bed and hugged her knees to her chest, looking down at the Game-Slave with an angry glare. After a few moments, she picked it up by the screen side and threw it into the wall, shattering the entire plastic body of the game console.   
  
"Dib, y-you idiot." she said with a sob, clutching her knees tightly. "Why'd you h-have to go and...and..." She didn't finish her sentence, just scooted back to the head of her bed and stared down at her feet, tears silently rolling down her cheeks.   
  
Her invisible brother just stared at her in disbelief.  
  
"C'mon, Dib." he heard G say. "Let's go downstairs."  
  
----  
Dib's Point of View  
----  
  
I've never seen Gaz do something like that. She just smashed it into a million pieces.  
  
Now we're going downstairs...to visit Dad...  
  
I wonder how he's reacting...  
  
----  
  
(A/N: Okay, I'm putting more chapters than I meant...) 


	9. A Father's Love

(A/N: Finally, I'm updating!)  
  
----  
  
G led Dib downstairs and into the basement where Professor Membrane's home lab was located. The smell of burnt plastic was coming from the door through which G led the boy and there, on a stool in front of a lab table, sat Professor Membrane. His ever-present blue goggles were askew over his eyes and he was shaking all over.  
  
Dib looked from his father to the equipment in front of him. Half of the lab things on the table were melted, beakers broken, test tubes shattered, smoke rising from what used to be a bunsen burner and now resembled a small, plastic volcano.  
  
Membrane stood up, letting the metal stool fall to the floor with a clatter. In one swift movement he'd knocked everything off the table and onto the floor, then pushed the table over, which caused Dib to step back in alarm.   
  
"You always did find some way," Membrane said quietly to no one, "to interrupt my work.Whether it was ghosts, aliens, or vampires...you always found some way to get my attention away from my work. And now, you're still doing it, Dib." He fell to his knees, onto the floor, and looked at the broken things around him. "I'm a man of my work...and now...I can't even concentrate on that. Finally, when I've got time to listen to you...when you're the only person I want to talk to...you're not around."  
  
"G," said Dib in a shaky voice as he watched his father break down into himself. "Why did you show me these things?"  
  
"The main reason is because I was assigned to you," G replied. "The other reason is because I've not gotten my wings yet. The sooner I teach you this lesson, the sooner I become an angel first class and earn my wings. Why do you ask?"  
  
"Because," Dib said. "I can't take any more of this."  
  
"Dib, you've got the chance to see what the world would be like without you. You basically wished you were dead and here, in this world, you are dead. Isn't that what you wanted?"  
  
"I thought it was."  
  
Just then there was a small sound of footsteps from the door and Gaz walked in, quickly wiping her cheek with her sleeve.  
  
"Dad?" she said quietly, walking over to Membrane and tapping his shoulder.  
  
"Yes?" he replied, turning to look at her.  
  
"I-I heard a crash and...I just wanted to-to make sure..." Gaz stammered, looking down as her voice broke. This was very unlike her, she knew, and she was feeling rather embarrased.  
  
"I'm alright," said Membrane, sitting up though still on his knees. His daughter nodded and crossed her arms, trying to hide the fact that her hands were trembling.  
  
"Well!" G said, interrupting the moment. "That's about all we need to see, I think. Come on, Dib." He took Dib by the hand and had to practically drag him out of the room the boy was so shocked by what he had seen.  
  
G kept dragging Dib until they got outside and by then Dib had started walking on his own. "Where are we going?" he asked.  
  
"Back to the beginning, back to where we started. It's time for you to decide, Dib." said G as they reached the bridge, then turned to look at him, arms crossed over the black trench coat he wore.  
  
"It's time for you to decide," he repeated. "Life or death?"  
  
----  
  
(A/N: Invader Zim Christmas special: Tuesday, December 10th, 2002. 8:00/8:30 Nickelodeon.) 


	10. Irken Pride

(A/N: Sorry the update took so long. Stuff happened. I dinnah like the stuff.)  
  
-----  
  
Dib looked at G uneasily as the man waited for him to come to a decision. His eyes slowly drifted off to other parts of the scenery until they came upon a small, flower decorated cross on a spot on the bridge. When he thought about it he realized that that had been where the car was headed; the cross must've been for him.  
  
He was about to tell G that, yes, he wanted to live and thanks for showing him all that he had seen, when Dib spotted a dark figure walking quickly towards them at a practiced pace. The figure was slowly revealed by a nearby street-lamp to be a short, green person wearing a maroon uniform over black pants and black boots. For some reason, unknown to many, he was also wearing black gloves. Dib recognized this being at once to be his mortal enemy; Zim.  
  
The proud Irken soldier quickly made his way over to the small memorial there on the bridge walkway and crossed his arms, looking down at it.  
  
G turned to see what Dib was looking at and quirked a brow, but he listened quietly.  
  
"Well...it's finally happened," Zim declared to the flowered cross, "my mortal enemy, dead. I didn't think it would happen this way. Really, to be killed by the machinery of your own race." He chuckled lightly. "I really expected better of you, Dib."  
  
Dib walked over to the side of the street Zim was on and leaned against the nearest support beam to listen.   
  
"I'll go ahead and admit, you were a worthy opponent to me. But, now, without you around there'll be no one to stand in the way of my plans of terror." Zim smirked. "Be honored, Dib, for you were probably the only human on this planet who could stop me. Now that you're gone, Earth is mine to do with what I wish." His lavender eyes narrowed maliciously. "Rest in peace."  
  
With that, the cocky Irken saluted the cross and kept walking/marching down the walkway of the bridge until he turned a corner and was out of sight.   
  
"That does it," said Dib. "That just breaks the moose's--"  
  
"Moose's?" G repeated quizzically.  
  
"--spine. All...crackly-pop like. G!" the boy exclaimed, running back over to his guardian angel. "I want to be alive. I don't want to be in this world any more, send me back to -my- world with -my- family and -my-, loving though few, friends. And...my enemies."  
  
G laughed slightly. "I knew you'd come to your senses sooner or later," he said with a grin. "Alright, I'll send you back. Just remember: stop being pessimistic! Even though scarcely anyone believes your paranormal theories, you've still got your friends, family, and the satisfaction in knowing you've saved the world once or twice in your life."  
  
"Yeah," Dib replied. "Yeah, I do. Thanks, G, for showing me all of this. You've really taught me--"  
  
"We're gonna have to cut this short, kid, I gotta talk to some guy named Nny before he hits the 'delete' button on existence."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just...your welcome. Now," said G, looking out around him. "Rewind!"  
  
The world around him blurred into nothing and Dib found himself being pulled backwards, as if he were falling...  
  
-----  
  
He awoke on the sidewalk of the bridge, the stars blinking merrily at him from above. Dib groaned and sat up, looking around where he was.  
  
"Record," whispered a voice behind him, though he turned too late to see who it was and dismissed it as either his imagination or the remanents of a way-too-real dream.  
  
Suddenly, he saw it. Two bright headlights, swerving from side to side coming down the road of the bridge; coming right at -him-.  
  
Without thinking he jumped up and ran several feet out of the way, stopping only when he heard the 'clashhiiiiing!' of the drunk driver hitting the bridge railings. Dib turned and saw a tall guy with rust colored hair stumble out of the car.  
  
"Damn," the man muttered, seeing the damage done to his headlights, not to mention the entire front of his car. He sighed in frustration and turned to look at Dib. "You okay, kid?" he slurred.  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine." Dib replied.   
  
"You know, your leg is bleeding."  
  
"What?" Dib looked down to see that a bit of glass from the headlight had shot off and barely grazed his leg, leaving a small cut in his pants and a little bit of blood dripping down them. Only then did he notice the stinging and reached down to put his hand over it.  
  
The drunken man looked over his car once more and shook his head, then looked at Dib. "Sorry, kid, I almost hit ya," he said. "Good thing you ran, huh?"  
  
The boy didn't reply to him, too busy letting an insane grin spread across his face.  
  
"I'M BLEEDING!" Dib exclaimed in the same manner someone would announce they'd won a million dollars. "Look! I'm bleeding! I'm alive, I exist, I have blood!"  
  
"Kid must be more wasted than I am," the drunken man mumbled, reaching into his car for his cell-phone to call a tow-truck.  
  
"Thanks, mister drunk-guy-person!" yelled Dib happily as he took off running down the street. "I'm going home! To my house where I LIVE! MERRY CHRISTMAS!" He threw his hands into the air and let out a "Woo!" of happiness as he disappeared down the street.  
  
The man just watched him, shook his head and said sadly, "It's a damn shame, kids that age...getting into drugs so early..."  
  
-----  
  
(A/N: Next chapter to be the last! ^-^ By the way, the reason Dib yelled out 'MERRY CHRISTMAS!' is because this is supposed to be a Christmas fic. Sorry it was late, though, me comp was broked.) 


End file.
